Sacramento City Council Rejects Housing Plan Amid Crisis

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento City Council unanimously opposed a senior housing project in South Sacramento that would have added 24 units to the crowded rental market.

The vote comes as Sacramento leaders describe a citywide housing shortage they have labeled as a crisis. The city planning commission previously approved the project 7-1.

The proposed Luther Gardens Apartments was set for the site of an empty field in a neighborhood near Florin Road zoned for single-family use. Developer Robert Pecora’s request to change that to multi-unit zoning was denied.

“The vast majority of housing projects that are proposed get approved,” Pace said.

City Councilman Larry Carr represents the district where the proposed apartment complex sits. He voted no on the plan, citing concerns the apartments were too dense and not located close enough to services seniors need.

“There’s no doubt we need housing,” Carr said. “We all agree on that, but we need the right kind of housing.”

According to Yardi Matrix, a national multifamily data firm, 96 percent of rental properties in Sacramento are full.